Too Much To Ask
by Bink
Summary: My second ER series: Carter's invited to a ER management conference that's full of surprises.
1. Part 1

**Too Much To Ask  
**

Note: These characters, the characters of _ER_, are not property of me, but NBC, Constant C, blahblah morphinecakes. I love them, though! Oh.. try and find the Monkees references, Lindy.. :P  
  
John Carter looked at his haggard face in the mirror on his locker door. It had been two weeks since he had gotten back from rehab, and although he was better than before as far as attitude, his withdrawal from the drugs was clearly showing.. at least to those who knew about it.  
"Hey John." Kerry limped in behind him slowly, trying not to scare him. He could still be a little jumpy, so they had all taken precautions. She smiled.  
"Hey Dr. Weaver," he answered, turning around to greet her. He grinned back, but she could see he was still feeling under par. "Chuny was just in here. She said you were looking for me?"  
"Yes. I just wanted to invite you to a conference being held next week on the East Side. It's about emergency management and getting high up on the ladder-- work strategies and that sort of thing. Mark and I are going, as well as one or two of the nurses. We think since Carol left we should really get a new charge nurse, and what a better place to start? Attendings are really the only doctors allowed, but we pulled some strings to get you in as a senior resident. What do you think?"  
He smiled, but looked at her warily. "Oh, I don't know. It sounds kind of uptight for me."  
"Well, yes," she grinned, "but it's at The Plaza Hotel. There's going to be a fancy dinner affair and everything, and I thought you might enjoy it. Way to get back into the swing of things. It's going to be from eight in the morning to eight at night on Thursday, when the dinner ends."  
"Umm.. sure, okay, put me down." He shrugged his shoulders slightly and hung his bag up in his locker.   
"Great." She turned around to leave, but spoke as she did: "There's a bounce-back migraine in one you might want to take.."  
"Dr. Weaver?" She turned on her heel and looked back at Carter.  
"Thanks for letting me know." He smiled again and closed his locker door.  
  
Carter cocked his head slightly and looked around the corner of Jones Avenue. He had been to the Plaza once before, with his parents and grandparents for some benefit, but it was when he was only sixteen or seventeen. Ah. He smiled. A large crystalline building shone in the light, and the gold letters lit up the sky. He straightened his tie as a valet walked up to his car, and John slowed down.  
"Sir, are you here for the Emergency Room Management conference?" Carter nodded. "Okay, sir, I will park your car and it will be charged to your hospital. May I have your name and hospital, please?" The clerk took out a small computer, a Palm Pilot, that listed all the names and hospitals attending today.  
"John Carter. I'm coming from Cook County."  
The man looked rushedly down the electronic list of names. Carter, John. A senior resident at Cook County Hospital. "Thank you, Dr. Carter. Here's your name tag.." He handed him a small laminated tag attached to a clip, which Carter hurriedly clipped on his suit jacket. John handed him his keys, got out of the car, and casually walked inside. He was supposed to meet everyone at their table in the conference hall.   
"John!" Kerry waved from the large, round table and motioned to a chair beside her. "You know everyone here.. except Dr. Frawley. He's moving down to the ER from cardiology next year." Carter waved and smiled, as did Dr. Frawley.  
"Very nice to meet you, Dr. Frawley." John extended a hand.  
"Oh, call me Jim. John Carter. I've heard a lot about you." He grinned and turned to Kerry.  
"I was just telling Jim about your misadventures as a medical student in the ER, and surgery." She put her hand over Jim's and nodded toward him.  
"Ah," he replied, hanging his bag over his chair as a doctor announced the beginning of the conference. Everything went very well, except that Kerry hung over Dr. Frawley the entire time. He could tell there was something going on between the two. He just wished he had someone, something. He was so lonely ever since Roxanne, and Lucy. Everyone went home to get dressed and, in the women's case, get their hair and nails done to come back for the big banquet at 8. Carter changed into a tuxedo-- although he hadn't worn it in ages-- and headed back to the hotel at 7:30, where there was only one other person, of the women at least.. a doctor from St. Luke's. He decided to go over and talk to her, even if it was small chat, and even if it was stupid. With a large sigh, he picked leisurely walked over..


	2. Part 2

**Too Much To Ask: Part II  
  
**

Note: These characters, the characters of ER, are not property of me, but NBC, Constant C, blahblah morphinecakes. I love them, though! Oh.. try and find the Monkees references, Lindy.. :P  
  
As he walked closer, he could see her features more clearly. She looked rather young to be a resident: then again, he was only 30. She looked around 25, and was talking to a busboy. Her complexion was rather dark, and she had narrow eyes and long black hair that made her look hispanic. Her dark brown eyes sparkled with laughter as she spoke to him, casually moving her hair behind her ears to reveal small pearl earrings with a teardrop-shaped diamond coming off the tips. Her black velvet dress was encrusted with small dots of cubic zirconia that complemented her enticing physique. As the employee walked away to prepare more for the upcoming banquet, she gazed down to the table, covered in name tags for the other doctors attending.   
"I must have been a fool to get here so early," John muttered, as he stood next to her. What a stupid thing to say, he thought. She's here early, too. That was putting her.. but she laughed. A warm, confident laugh that revealed a lot about her personality.  
"I was lucky to get here this early and have some peace, before this place becomes a madhouse. I'm just glad these earrings came on time." She put a hand to the beautiful jewelery that adorned her ears.  
He turned to her. "Did you order them from a jeweler? My mother always orders stuff from Clarksville Jewelers on the other side of town, and they're always late."  
She grinned. "Oh, no. My sister sent them from Dallas. She's married; her husband bought them for her and I told her about this and she volunteered to air mail them.. what am I telling you this for if I don't even know your name!"  
He lowered his head a bit, realizing her forgot that part, and extended his hand. "I'm Dr. John Carter, from County General. And you are?"  
"Dr. Mikayla Ojeda, from St. Luke's, if you couldn't already tell." She motioned to the table beside them, with a piece of paper that had "St. Luke's Hospital, Chicago, IL," written in calligraphy.  
"Very nice to meet you, Mikayla. Are you a resident over there?"  
"Oh, yes. I'm a second-year resident. You?" She sat down on one of the chairs, and gestured for him to, too, which he did.  
"Fourth-year now. I was an intern in surgery, then switched over to emergency medicine. Surgery just wasn't for me. I care too much about the patients." He laughed, and she looked into his eyes. He felt really open around her, but he didn't know why.  
"Really? I was an intern in OB for a year, but it just wasn't my forte. It's an adrenaline rush in OB, but you treat all kinds of different patients in the ER, with that same rush. I like it a lot better." He nodded.  
They sat silent for a moment as some more guests began to walk in, but none from County. Maybe he could sit with her at St. Luke's table, or her at County's, he thought. "So your sister lives in Texas?" he inquired.  
"Oh, yeah. That's where all of us Ojedas come from. I have three brothers, and my sister. Us six don't see each other often, all of us.. I live here, Nia lives in Dallas, and all the boys moved up to San Antonio. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"  
"Umm.. no, not anymore." He gave half-smile and she looked concerned. "I had a brother-- Bobby. He died of leukemia when I was pretty young."   
"I'm very sorry," she responded. Poor guy. "Did that affect your decision to become a doctor?"  
"That made my decision to become a doctor." Smiling, he put his hand over hers, and she didn't pull away. She hated the cliche of love at first sight, but everything felt right with John. And he enjoyed Mikayla's company. She giggled.  
"I knew there must have been some catch.." she commented. She looked toward the doorway, and saw one of her senior residents, Dr. Rafelson, coming toward the table. "Umm.. do you mind if I sit at your table? Something tells me we won't have room over here once everyone comes."  
"Oh, no, no problem." He got up and held her by the hand as the went over to the table. Kerry and Jim had arrived, as had Drs. Greene, Corday, and Kovac. They all greeted him, and everyone was in good spirits.  
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Dr. Mikayla Ojeda. She's from St. Luke's and she's gonna sit with us tonight due to lack of space." Everyone laughed. "Mikayla, these are Drs. Weaver, Greene, and Kovac, our ER attendings, Dr. Corday, one of our trauma surgeons, and Dr. Frawley, one of our new residents." She nodded in hello. "Nice to meet you all."  
"Dr. Ojeda! I knew that name sounded familiar. Your brother, Michael.. he's at Dallas General, right? Started that new neonatal unit with all the Emo equipment?" Mikayla nodded. "Fascinating feasibility study they did, and the final product is amazing. Glad to meet you."  
As the two walked away from the table to get some drinks, Carter turned to her and smiled, then whispered to her.  
"I didn't know your brother was Michael Ojeda."  
"That's exactly why I didn't tell you." The two giggled like children and walked toward the bar.  
  
"I'm absolutely exhausted, and I have a shift tomorrow at noon.." Mikayla spoke, as John grabbed their coats. It was a rather chilly night for the end of July, and they were tired. They had danced to the big band music, eaten everything at the buffet, and debated medical issues with the entire Cook County table. It had been a wonderful night, and it was hard to believe they met only hours ago.  
"Yeah, well, I'm on at 9, so don't be complaining. Are you parked in the garage?"  
"Yep. I live just about two blocks away, on Mendrek Street, but I still drove. Where do you live?"  
"Currently? My parents. But it's only temporary. It's a really long story and when I have time to tell it.. that is, when it's not.." he looked at his watch, "2:30 in the morning, then I will. But now.. you and I must sleep." She laughed at his cute little speech and was already thinking ahead. She wanted to see him again. She knew that. But she didn't want to be too forward about it.  
"Ah, here's my car." He paused at the door, and she smiled at him. He wanted to make nothing of this, but he just couldn't help it. Slowly, he leaned toward her, and kissed her rather lightly, just to let her know that he did like her. But he came back next with an even stronger kiss, at both of their willing, and then she let go. She didn't even know this guy! For all she knew, he could be some pervert just trying to get in her pants.. or down her dress. But he put her at ease so much that she knew that probably wasn't true.  
"Call me tomorrow at Cook County.. I'll be on till 7 at night tomorrow. Just call the ER and ask for me.. okay?" She nodded and he smiled. He couldn't wait for that call.  
"G'night." She waved and walked headed up the ramp to the next level.  
"'Night, Mikayla.." he whispered and grinned largely at himself.   



End file.
